International diplomacy has not only been transformative for Indigenous
Peoples, it has also been transformed by Indigenous Peoples. Last year
marked the 50th commemoration of the first Arctic Peoples’ Conference,
which was an apt moment to reflect on the contributions of Arctic Indigenous Peoples to international diplomacy and the legacy of that moment
for generations past, present, and future. The 1973 Conference took place
at the height of various resistance movements. As national governments
decried apartheid and racial oppression in other parts of the world, the hypocrisy of ignoring Indigenous Peoples’ claims within their own borders
was starkly on display. The 1960s and 70s saw many Indigenous Peoples
reject the assimilationist policies of their respective colonial governments
and challenge the rapidly expanding development projects that were encroaching upon their lands, Peoples, and way of life. In Greenland, Sumé
became the first rock band to clearly address inequities in power structures and the need for revolution amidst a resurgent energy for anti-colonial resistance; across Sápmi political revolutionary events were taking
place; and, in North America, assimilation-focused boarding school systems were being dismantled. It was in this spirit that Arctic Indigenous
Peoples recognized the benefits to be gained from international diplomacy and sought greater regional coordination to that end.